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Planning a Wedding

You said yes! Congratulations on beginning the most wonderful journey! Your wedding day is something you dream about as a little girl and plan out long before it becomes a reality. But now it is…and you don’t know where to begin! Not to worry, we have outlined all of the major aspects of a wedding that you need to hit head on in order to plan the perfect wedding. The small details and fun frills come later. For now, let’s get started with wedding planning 101.

Preparation and Organization is Key!

Before any big decisions or important calls are made you want to make sure you are fully prepared to handle everything with pristine organization in order to remain stress-free and on top of everything! Legacy Event Planner’s 20+ years of experience is sure to help you manage everything from the big choices to the small details. Keeping a wedding binder to keep track of your vendors, important appointments and phone numbers as well as all of your wedding inspo is a great way to get started in organizing and preparing for your dream wedding!

The Budget

First things first, your budget. Before you begin planning or making any major decisions you need to decide on your budget so you know how much you need to save, where to put your money and how much to allocate towards each aspect. Traditionally the bride’s parents pay for the wedding but today it is more and more common for the groom’s parents to chip in and even more common for the bride and groom to add personal savings to the budget. It is important to have these necessary conversations between the bride, groom, and the parents as soon as possible in order to appropriately budget for the wedding and know where you can/should put your money throughout the planning process.

The Wedding Party

The wedding party consists of the best man and maid of honor as well as all of your bridesmaids and groomsmen. These are the friends and family closest to you that will stand beside you at the altar. When choosing your wedding party keep in mind you want these to be the people who will be supporting and helping you along the way. It is typical to have an equal number of bridesmaids and groomsmen to pair together for the procession to the altar, however it is not uncommon to have an uneven number if need be. When choosing your maid of honor you want to select your best gal pal who you can trust to be brutally honest and help you execute all of the items on your to-do list for your dream wedding.

The Venue

You may have dreamt about your dream wedding location for your whole life…maybe it’s a beach wedding, a garden wedding, a chapel wedding or even a destination wedding. But now it is time to find the actual venue, and how do you do that? Certain criteria are important for you to keep in mind when choosing this location. For example, how much does it cost, can you afford it? How large is it, can you accommodate all of your guests? Do they allow you to bring in your own caterer or do you have to use theirs? Do they allow an open bar? What about transportation, audio and video capabilities, any restrictions? These are important items to keep in mind that may make or break a venue for you. When it comes down to it you want to find a venue that will please all of your guests, showcase the atmosphere you envision and fall within your budget.

The Date

Summer, Winter, Fall, Spring, which is the best season of all? Summer is the most popular season for weddings but you may dream of a warm winter wedding or a bright, Spring wedding with endless bouquets of fresh flowers. Whatever you prefer, choosing the wedding date is a big decision you and your partner should make as early as possible in order to plan ahead. Keep in mind Winter months are usually less expensive for weddings and Spring and Fall tend to be more costly. Also note that a February wedding causes for more expensive flowers due to Valentine’s Day demand, New Year’s Eve weddings cause for costly venues due to high demand, and holiday weekend weddings have both pros and cons. Think about the weather, out of town guests, and even bad dates for your closest family and friends. When it comes to choosing the date the most important thing to consider is if you can picture your dream wedding that day. You won’t be able to please everyone so make sure you are choosing a day that will make you and your significant other enjoy the event!

The Guests

Making the guest list is usually one of the hardest parts of planning your wedding. You don’t want to invite everyone you’ve ever met, but you also don’t want to leave out anyone important. One major factor influencing your guest list is your budget. How many people can you afford to provide seating, food, and entertainment for?Of course there are the obvious guests: your closest friends and family. However, what about that great uncle from the opposite coast you met once when you were 7? Or your high school friend who you haven’t spoken to in years? There are a few ways you can cut down your list. For out of towners think about whether or not you would make time to hang out with this person if you happened to be in there area. For coworkers consider whether or not you would still be friends if you quit your job? If you want a large wedding with everyone you know then seize the day! However more often than not weddings are much more of an intimate experience and more enjoyable with the people closest to you who not only will celebrate your wedding day with you, but will reminisce about your wedding day with you in years to come!

The Theme

Choosing the theme of your wedding will set the scene for many of your major decisions such as the location, the venue, the decorations and the food. From rustic woodland weddings to vintage garden weddings or even destination beach weddings, the themes are endless. Take some time with your spouse-to-be and imagine what your dream day looks like. Do you see nighttime with endless strands of light overhead? Or do you see a breezy, seaside celebration? Consider your budget and the time of year to decide the perfect theme. Once you have the theme picked out you can move on to the exciting part of planning like choosing your colors, your decorations and your food and drink!

The Dress

Can you already envision your dream wedding dress? Finding the perfect dress is a huge deal for many bride-to-be’s. Finding the perfect gown to say, “I Do” in is essential to your flawless wedding. Shopping for a wedding dress is a fun and exciting process throughout the wedding planning. In order to avoid chaos and too many opinions you should visit several shops with your mother or maid of honor before choosing the right dress. After you’ve made your decision you can invite your closest gal pals to one of your fittings to show off the final pick! Make sure to have one last altering closer to the wedding in case you have shed a few pounds for the big day!

The Experience

Your wedding day is looked at as one of the most important days of your life, remember to take in every moment and enjoy the process. Don’t get caught in the stress of planning or the pressure of pleasing everyone. This day is all about you and your soon-to-be spouse, focus on the positives and it will be a magical experience!